Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday that the recommended early retirement of the USS Truman to fund other maritime strike capabilities was debated within the Pentagon for more than a year before the decision was made. “I think it’s a strategic choice we need to make…. It’s not like this is an irreversible decision,” he said.

Shanahan disputed news reports that the Pentagon is seeking to weaken drinking water standards to reduce the number of communities where it must address PFAS-contaminated water supplies.

Asked by Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) if climate change poses a threat to readiness, Shanahan said, “I believe we need to address resilience in operations and our design and how we build out our facilities.”

There has been no decision on where to locate a Space Force headquarters, Shanahan said. Several committee members, including Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), made plugs for their states. “With all due respect to my colleague from Florida, Colorado is a mile closer to space,” Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said.